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March 14, 2016

Mollie Parnis (d. 1992), a mid-twentieth century New York designer who dressed First Ladies and movie stars, once told a reporter, "The last thing I want to talk about is what people are wearing."[1] A curious sentiment for a woman who spent her entire life in the fashion industry, but Parnis was far from an average designer. At the height of her career, the Park Avenue home she shared with her husband and business partner, L. J. Livingston, became a modern-day salon, with visits from politicians, journalists, artists, and actors. This striking black and blue velvet appliquéd coat, a recent donation to the FIDM Museum, deviates from Parnis’ typical aesthetic, but its geometric design can be explained by her lifelong devotion to the arts.

Despite her reputation as one of New York’s most refined hostesses, Parnis came from humble beginnings. Her parents were Jewish Austrian immigrants, and Parnis had only a high school education when she began working as a blouse salesperson in a small store.[2] Her husband also worked in the textile industry, and after they married in 1930 the couple started the Parnis-Livingston clothing company – she the designer, he the business manager. The company managed to thrive throughout the Great Depression, and by the end of the 1940s Mollie Parnis clothing was featured regularly in Vogue. She achieved stardom when First Lady Bess Truman wore her designs, the beginning of a flourishing relationship with the women of the White House. Parnis dressed Mamie Eisenhower for her husband's swearing-in ceremony in 1957, and supplied much of her day-to-day wardrobe. She went on to dress future First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, and Rosalyn Carter. When a woman wore Mollie Parnis, she knew she would be regarded as traditional, elegant, and polished – making the flamboyant pattern of the velvet coat all the more incongruous.

Mollie Parnis in her Park Avenue home with a Matisse painting from her personal collection. Via Life Magazine, 1966.

October 15, 2015

Although he is best known today for his avant-garde "Space Age" designs in futuristic materials like plastic and metal, couturier André Courrèges (b. 1923) was equally celebrated in the 1960s for his impeccable tailoring, a legacy of his early training with Cristóbal Balenciaga.

On February 5, 1963, the Los Angeles Times noted: "Buttons and pockets play an important role in the Courrèges look. Indescribable tricks of seaming that are as complicated as the deceptive simplicity they project account for shaping that is no less than superb." This A-line coat adheres to that description.

Detail

It is formed entirely of French seams which highlight elongated armscyes, outline the sides and edges, and delineate distinctive pockets--complex construction functioning as ornamentation. A series of intricately knotted and varnished leather buttons in double-breasted formation add bullet points to this geometric coat.

Detail

The Courrèges label was relaunched last month--under the creative direction of Sebastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant--with its first runway show in 13 years, and recently collaborated on a makeup collection with Estée Lauder. Always ahead of his time, Courrèges seems right at home in the 21st century.

October 13, 2015

Today, the word "motley" is a synonym for "mixed" or "heterogeneous." In the 14th century, however, it signified a textile or garment of two or more colors, particularly the clothing worn by jesters. The jester's multicolored (or "particolored") costume symbolized his place outside of polite society, where sumptuary laws limited the colors and fabrics that could be worn by members of different classes. Diamond-shaped patterns evoked patched garments; by the 16th century, a "patch" was another name for a clown or a fool.

While "harlequin" prints cycled in and out of fashion over the course of the 20th century, they were particularly appropriate to the carnival mood of the 1960s, even appearing on underwear, umbrellas, pajamas, ski wear, maternity clothes, and hosiery. A 1962 Picasso retrospective in New York fueled the trend, providing "plenty of food for thought for Seventh Avenue designers" who "tend to focus on the saltimbanques," or clowns, according to Women's Wear Daily.1

Detail

Harlequin prints combined the bold, black-and-white geometric patterns of Mod style with the kaleidoscope colors of Flower Power. Vogue described a Leo Narducci minidress of 1967 as being "diamond-patterned like a jester's motley."2 This coat's materials are as anarchic as its design: the diamonds are dyed Korean rat fur, while the collar and cuffs are raccoon.

DressI. Magninc. 1965Gift of Doris Raymond2005.800.1

Pauline Trigère's Spring 1961 collection featured bisected "Puncinello" styles, combining colors "in big doses with harlequin brilliance."3 This particolored minidress resembles one illustrated in Women's Wear Daily in 1967, which was paired with coordinating tights with mismatched legs. Like medieval jesters, the merry pranksters of the 1960s were characterized by childlike playfulness and a flagrant disregard for authority. As London antiques dealer Christopher Gibbs quipped: "The King's Road is a wilderness of stoned harlequins."4

September 23, 2014

As today is the first full day of fall, it seems only appropriate to take a look at some of the warm and cozy garments in our collection. So, today we bring you a selection of coats and jackets, from sensible wool to patterned lamé. Let us know if you see anything you love!

Woven with metallic threads, this coat features the columnar silhouette that was so popular during the 1920s. The clean lines of the coat are enriched by the abstract pattern and rich colors of the textile and its oversize fur collar. Lamé evening coats were extremely popular during the 1920s; a 1924 Vogue article featured lamé evening coats and wraps by Worth, Doucet, Chanel, and Molyneux. Like the coat seen here, many 1920s coats lacked a fastener of any kind. Called clutch coats, they were clasped together with the hand, or fell open to reveal the dress underneath. Period fashion illustrations often picture women grasping both sides of their coats, while also holding a small purse tucked under the arm.

This wool jacket is classic Lanz. Founded in Austria during the 1920s, Lanz of Salzburg specialized in skiwear and Austrian traditional dress. The company began synonymous with the newly popular folklore style, even earning a 1933 mention in American Vogue. This Lanz Original jacket dates from after company founder Josef Lanz immigrated to the United States sometime during the 1930s. Despite this relocation and renaming of the company to Lanz Originals, Lanz continued to produce sportswear with a folklore feel. This green wool jacket features the strong 1940s silhouette, but is softened by embroidered strawberries and a red/white patterned lining. The brass buttons are a detail typical of Lanz designs.

American designer Bonnie Cashin (1907-2000) was a promoter of no-nonsense dressing for the active, modern woman. Cashin's garments were designed with practicality, comfort, and warmth in mind, while also emphasizing uncluttered lines, easy fit, and functional details such as large pockets. The Noh coat (pictured above) was Cashin's take on the flat planes of the Japanese kimono. Roomy and warm with a single leather tie closure, the Noh coat was designed as the outer layer of a Cashin outfit.

Maxi-coatOssie Clark c. 1969Gift of Honeya Barth2008.923.1B

Ossie Clark's (1942-1996) severe black maxi-coat is a take on the redingote, a heavy, long coat worn by 18th century men for outdoor pursuits and horseback riding. As is often the case with menswear, women adopted the redingote for their own, donning versions made from patterned silks. This style of coat was worn off and on through the 19th century. Like Clark's version, redingotes often had oversized collars and turned back cuffs. Fitted jackets and coats were an important part of Clark's design vocabulary, often serving as a foil for his whimsically patterned dresses.

November 21, 2012

In August 1965, British Vogue featured the designs of Ossie Clark, a recent graduate of London's Royal College of Art. Clark's graduation collection featured the graphic patterns and short shift dresses that were popular in the freewheeling milieu of mid-1960s Swinging London. Within a few years, Clark's style had evolved, relying on dramatic sleeves, peek-a-boo cut-outs, flowing skirts, and a defined waistline to create a flattering, overtly feminine silhouette. Clark's aesthetic was informed by his love of glamour and an appreciation for a curvaceous silhouette. According to one woman who wore his designs regularly, "the clothes were intoxicating to wear. They made you feel omnipotent and feminine because they were so complimentary to the body."1 She was not alone in her feelings about Ossie Clark's designs; more testaments to his work can be read here. Clark's clients and fans included Liza Minelli (she wore Ossie Clark in the 1972 film Cabaret), Marianne Faithfull, Suzy Menkes, Mick Jagger and Twiggy.Maxi-dressOssie Clark with print by Celia Birtwellc. 1969Gift of Honeya Barth2008.923.1A

March 20, 2012

Spring is here! Today, March 20, is the first day of spring for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Spring brings longer days, warmer weather and a host of colorful blooms. In celebration of spring's arrival, we offer you an array of flowers from our collection. Enjoy!

Evening boots 1850-55 Gift of Barbara Bundy 2006.37.3AB

This pair of nineteenth century evening boots feature a pattern of roses and twining foliage. Made of a lightly iridescent silk damask brocade accented with green leather foxing at the heel and toe, these boots were almost certainly made to match an evening gown. Because of their delicacy, they would have been worn indoors only. As was common throughout much of the 19th century, these boots have undefined left and right soles. Shoes with distinctly different shapes for the left and right food didn't became widespread until the late 19th century.

March 02, 2012

Lanz originated in Salzburg, Austria during the early 1920s. Founded by Josef Lanz and Fritz Mahler in 1922, Lanz of Salzburg specialized in ski wear and traditional Austrian dress. Salzburg was also home to the newly established (and increasingly popular) Salzburg Festival. Founded in 1920, the Salzburg Festival's summer program of music and theatre quickly attracted international attention. By the early 1930s, the Salzburg Festival was a fixture on the international event calendar and attracted visitors from around the world. Lanz benefited from the popularity of the Salzburg Festival, and quickly gained an international clientele for its regional styles. In 1933, Vogue mentioned Lanz in an article describing the jet set's transformation on arrival in Salzburg: "The women take off their Mainbochers and Augustabernards and put on a cotton dirndl dress and rakish Tyrolian [sic] felt hat with a feather (bought at Lanz in Salzburg, probably)."1

October 04, 2011

Appearing in the exquisite creations of the Parisian haute couture and the humbler pages of the Sears catalog, fur suited the extravagant mood of 1920s dress. Though a coat made entirely of fur was the most desirable (and expensive) breed of fur coat, the majority of women settled for a coat or wrap trimmed with fur. A 1927 article on winter furs summed up this hierarchy with a succinct statement: "Next in importance to the all-fur wrap is that trimmed with fur."1 According to the same article, fox was the chicest fur for trimming, especially black fox paired with black fabric. It's such a relief to know our coat meets the 1927 criteria for chic!

December 14, 2010

Bill Cunningham's recent On The Street video "Fabulous, Mr. Fox," pointed out something I've noticed over the past few months: a renewed interest in animal prints and fur, both real and fake. In November 2010, the New York Times featured an article on fur coats made from nutria, a voracious rodent. Vogue's December 2010 editorial titled "On The Prowl" highlights a trend for "wildcat-print heels roam[ing] the urban jungle."1 And don't forget the Fall 2010 Chanel collection, which featured shaggy fake fur showcased against a frozen background, including chunks of an iceberg reportedly transported from Scandinavia.

Some have suggested that the renewed popularity of fur and animal prints can be directly tied to the prevalence of fast fashion. When fashion-forward styles and designer capsule collections can be bought inexpensively at mass-market retailers, those with the interest and financial resources purchase status items (fur, specific handbags) unavailable at lower price points. Thus, fur is driven into a niche market, reinforcing its status as a luxury item. Ironically, some mass-market retailers, including H&M and Forever 21, have stopped using fur and/or exotic leathers in their collections. Though made for ethical reasons, this decision further reinforces the idea of fur as a rare and desirable commodity.